The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Published in 1999, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an American teen novel written by screenwriter Stephen Chbosky. The book served as an adaptation for the 2013 movie starring Emma Watson.

Charlie is a sensitive boy in high school. He has no friends and is still dealing with the deaths of his favorite aunt and best friend. Charlie meets two step-siblings - Patrick and Sam - and they make his world a whole lot better. 

This book is told in a unique way. Charlie writes letters to an unknown recipient and always starts with "dear friend" and always ends with "love always". This added a sense of intimacy and made for an honest, informal voice, which I appreciated.

Charlie is by far the most interesting character in the novel. He is very sensitive and cries over anything remotely emotional. He also annoys his family and, as a result, they don't usually communicate with him. When he finally gets into good situations, he messes them up and transforms them to bad ones. 

Despite this, it is hard not to feel sorry for Charlie. He had a tough childhood and close people to him have died, so I understand why he is the way he is. However, as a reader who wants this protagonist to succeed and overcome his misfortune, it is frustrating to see him screw it all up.


This book strongly echoes The Catcher in the Rye (previously reviewed here). I believe that Charlie is an exaggerated version of Holden Caulfield. They are both teens. Their families don't interact with them. They get emotional about many things. They both have a teacher in their lives who is a strong influence. They both have siblings in college. They both turn to substances to help with their problems. Overall, Charlie is more emotional than Holden. The set-up of Perks was overwhelmingly similar to The Catcher. I prefer the latter.

The main problem with this book is that its plot, characters, and message seem tired and familiar. A shaky two out of five stars. 

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Published in 2009, If I Stay has received positive reviews and a surge of popularity thanks to the film adaptation released in August, 2014.

If I Stay tells the story of seventeen year old Mia Hall, a girl with a bright future, a supportive family, and a loving boyfriend. Mia and her family take a drive on a snowy day and a catastrophic car crash follows. Plunged into a coma, Mia has an out-of-body experience as she contemplates whether to wake up or to die.

The meat of the story is the memories that Mia reflects upon as she lies in her hospital bed. I don't usually enjoy a book with too many details, however, in this case, they made the story more powerful. 

And the story is indeed powerful. Mia is still young and the decision she must make may be the most critical one she will ever face. The story line is interesting because you imagine what you would do in Mia's situation. The seriousness of the matter makes the book heart-wrenching and sad. 

This book is a tough read, but it is worth the effort because it is powerful and moving. Five out of five stars.

Whip It/Derby Girl by Shauna Cross

Originally published in 2007 as Derby Girl, Whip It was made into a film in 2009 directed by Drew Barrymore.

Bliss Cavendar is an indie-music-loving sixteen year old, stuck in the tiny town of Bodeen, Texas. Her mother is obsessed with beauty pageants and Bliss' only outlet to the "cool world" is traveling to Austin, Texas with her best friend Pash. In Austin, she discovers roller derby, which flips her world upside down for the better.

This book is not as well-written as Shakespeare but it is laugh-out-loud funny. It has a certain charm and Bliss' observations about the world are infused with the unmistakable sarcasm of a moody teen. 

The plot holds one's interest and the book is full of great descriptions of roller derby, a sport about which I previously knew little.  


This book is simply easy to read and enjoyable and does not require your full attention. I rate the book four out of five stars, because while it is fun and fairly well-written, it is not phenomenal. 

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger

My first book review is of The Catcher in the Rye, a 1951 high school English classic. It's about a depressed teen, Holden Caulfield, who hops between boarding schools. Holden narrates the story, giving the novel a consistent, strong, and sometimes even predictable voice. Throughout his journeys, Holden makes mature observations about the world as he experiences it. He realizes that there are many phonies and that most of the people in his life are insincere. 

Over the course of the novel, Holden matures. Before Holden had a taste of the real world, he was somewhat apathetic. The more he saw and experienced, the more empathetic he became towards people in all types of situations. 

I don't see a moral lesson that could be learned from The Catcher. I can learn from it what mistakes not to make; not to get kicked out of boarding school, not to order a prostitute up to your hotel room (it ends in embarrassment because you're not mature enough for it), or not to blow all your money over the course of two days - but no moral lessons. 

I would rate this book three out of five stars because it was good but not great.